Vent-valve for steam-heating systems.



.PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

J. R. SHANKLIN. VE- FOB. STEAMHEATING SYST. APPLIUATIQN FILED JAN. 9, 1966.

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JOHN RICHARD SI-IANKLIN, OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

VENT-VALVE FOR STEAM-HEATING SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1907.

Application filed January 9,1906. Serial No. 295.296.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN RICHARD SHANK- LIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Vent-Valve for Steam-Heating Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vent valves for heating systems, and is designed to provide certain new and useful improvements in this class of devices, particularly adapted for steam heating systems of that type commercially known as the vacuum systems.

It is an important object of the present invention to automatically effect the removal of air and water from radiators in a steam heating system without permitting waste of the steam through the vent valve and the return or vacuum pipes. It is also proposed to permit of the air being extracted from the radiators when the latter are cold, and to permit of the-effectual removal of water of condensation in the heated as well as in the cold condition of the radiators.

In accomplishing the aforementioned object, I employ a float valve to take care of the water of condensation, and a thermostatic valve to control the extraction of the air, the two valves operating independently of one another so as to insure the prompt closing of the thermostatic valve when the cold air has been extracted, thereby to prevent the escape of steam.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details may be made, within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a vent valve embodying the feature of the present invention, the float valve being closed. and the thermostatic valve being open. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the thermostatic valve closed. Fig. 3 is a detail top plan view of the seat of the valve for controlling the outlet of water.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

The present device includes a casing 1 which is preferably cylindrical or tubular in form and provided at its lower outlet end with a coupling 2 for connection with the return pipe 3 which leads to the pump, not shown, commonly employed in connection with vacuum steam heating systems. The top of the casing is closed by a removable tubular cover or bonnet 4 preferably having a threaded connection 5 with the interior of the case and provided with an external annular flange 6 bearing upon the top of the casing whereby packing may be introduced between the flange6 and the top edge of the casing 1. An appropriate cap 7 is removably fitted to the upper end of the bonnet 4, preferably in the nature of a threaded plug having its upper end polygonal in shape to form a wrench seat. The upper portion of the bonnet is internally threaded for a suitable distance, as shown at S, and a disk or plug 9 is adj ustably engaged with this threaded portion of the bonnet so as to be moved in and out for a purpose as will be hereinafter explained.

A screw-driver seat 10 is formed in the outer face of the disk or plug 9 for convenience in adjusting the latter. One side of the casing 1 adjacent its lower end is provided with an inlet coupling 11 which is de signed for connection with one of the coils of a radiator. WVithin the lower portion of the casing there is a transverse web 1.2 which is pierced by an opening 13, the walls of which are threaded. A circular or disk shaped valve seat member 14 is removably threaded into the opening 13 and has an annular flange 15 to bear upon the top of the web. This valve seat member is centrally pierced by an opening or port 16, and a tubular flange 17 rises from the valve seat concentric with the port 16. An annular series of ports 18 pierces the seat externally of the flange 17 and these ports have annular flanges or nipples 19 rising above the top of the valve seat member but terminating short of the top of the flange 17. A tubular float valve 20 slidably em braces the tube 17 and normally rests upon the tops of and closes the annular se ries of ports 18. Fixed within the socket or seat formed by the tube 17 is a tubular valve stem 21 of some suitable expansible material, for instance, vulcanite. valve rises into the bonnet 4 with its upper end normally adjacent but slightly below the plug 9 in order that the central longitudinal This thermostatic.

passage 22 of the stem maybe open at its top and thereby afford unrestricted communication between the interior of the valve casin and the return pipe 3 through the centra port 16 in the valve seat 14.

In practice, the radiator being cold, the

float valve 20 will be closed and the thermostatic valve 21 will be open by reason of its upper end being below the plug 9. Then steam is admitted to the radiator and the vacuum pump is started, the cold air in the radiator will pass into the thermostatic valve stem through its upper open end and thence into the return pipe 3. When the steam enters the valve casing and strikes the thermostatic valve stem, the latter expands until its upper end engages the plug 9, whereupon the upper end of the passage through the valve stem will be closed and escape of steam therethrough effectually prevented. When water of condensation accumulates in the radiator, the valve 20 is floated, whereupon the water of condensation will pass out through the valve ports 18 into the return pipe 3, thence to the pump and finally to the boiler of the heatmg system, thereby avoiding the loss of water.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that in the device of the present invention the thermostatic and float valves are entirely independent of one another, the inlet of the thermostatic valve being placed at such an elevation as to avoid the submerging thereof, while the float valve is disposed at a low level so as to effectually drain the radiator. In addition to avoiding submerging of the inlet of the thermostatic valve, said inlet is elevated so as to prevent grit and the like obstructing the passage through the stem 21.

By having the top or bonnet removable,

, access may be had to the float valve and the thermostatic valve for replacing the same without interfering with either of the re spective valves. Furthermore, the adj ustable valve seat 9 is accessible for adjustment by removing the closure plug'7.

By assembling the float valve and the thermostatic valve in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the thermostatic valve constitutes a guide for the float valve,

I members being thermostatic.

and the two valves are assembled in a very compact condition so as to take up no more lateral space than is essential to acc0mmodate the float valve.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A vent valve having a seat provided with a central port and an annular series of ports, a tube carried by the seat concentric with the central port, a tubular thermostatic valve member situated in the tube and in communication with the central port, a valve seat adjacent to the upper open end of the thermostatic valve member whereby the latter may be seated when heated, and a tubular float valve slidably embracing the thermo static member and controlling the annular series of ports.

2. A vent valve comprising a casing having a transverse partition pierced by a central port and an annular series of ports, the easing being provided with an inlet at one side of the partition. and an outlet at the other side thereof, a tubular thermostatic valve member communicating with the central port, a fixed closure member carried by the casing at a point above the outer open end of the thermostatic member and forming a valve seat therefor, and a tubular float valve slidably embracing the thermostatic memher and controlling the annular series of ports.

3. In a vent valve, the combination of a casing, a vent tube extending upwardly from the bottom thereof, the bottom of the casing being formed with an annular series of ports surrounding the tube, a float surrounding and guided by the tube, the float being adapted to close said ports, a member adapted to cooperate with the upper end of the tube to close the same, one of said last named In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses:

JOHN RICHARD SHANKLIN.

v IVitnesses:

W. G. BARRAR, WALTER A. PERRYv 

